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Polycythemia vera (is a myeloproliferative blood cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells. It may also result in the overproduction of white blood cells and platelets.
Polycythemia vera (is a myeloproliferative blood cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells. It may also result in the overproduction of white blood cells and platelets.
Most of the health concerns associated with polycythemia vera are caused by the blood being thicker as a result of the increased red blood cells.
It is more common in the elderly, around age 60, in rare cases it occurs in children and young adults and may be symptomatic or asymptomatic.
Common signs and symptoms include:
Itching (pruritus)
Severe burning pain in the hands or feet
Reddish or bluish coloration of the skin.
Headaches
Dizziness,
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus),
Impaired vision.
Enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)
Stomach ulcers
Gout (a form of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid in the joints
Heart disease
Cancer of blood-forming cells (Leukemia)
Treatment consists primarily of:
Medicines
Your doctor may prescribe medicines to keep your bone marrow from making too many red blood cells. Examples of these medicines include hydroxyurea and interferon-alpha.
Phlebotomy reduces your red blood cell count and starts to bring your blood thickness closer to normal. You may need to have phlebotomy done every few months.
Radiation treatment can help suppress overactive bone marrow cells. This helps lower your red blood cell count and keep your blood flow and blood thickness closer to normal.
However, radiation treatment can raise your risk of leukemia (blood cancer) and other blood diseases.
Treatments for Symptoms:
Aspirin can relieve bone pain and burning feelings in your hands or feet that you may have as a result of PV. Aspirin also thins your blood, so it reduces the risk of blood clots.
Aspirin can have side effects, including bleeding in the stomach and intestines. For this reason, take aspirin only as your doctor recommends.
If your PV causes itching, your doctor may prescribe medicines to ease the discomfort. Your doctor also may prescribe ultraviolet light treatment to help relieve your itching.
Researchers are studying other treatments for PV. An experimental treatment for itching involves taking low doses of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This type of medicine is used to treat depression. In clinical trials, SSRIs reduced itching in people who had PV.
Imatinib mesylate is a medicine that’s approved for treating leukemia. In clinical trials, this medicine helped reduce the need for phlebotomy in people who had PV. This medicine also helped reduce the size of enlarged spleens.
Researchers also are trying to find a treatment that can block or limit the effects of an abnormal JAK2 gene. (A mutation, or change, in the JAK2 gene is the major cause of PV.)